No. 11 BYU hosts MRGC rival Utah State on Friday

PROVO, Utah – For the second consecutive week, No. 11 BYU gymnastics will compete in the Smith Fieldhouse, hosting No. 22 Utah State on Friday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. MST.

MEET NOTES

The MRGC rivals last faced on Utah State’s home turf in Logan, Utah, on Jan. 29. There, the Cougars snagged their first win of the season, topping the Aggies, 196.425-195.175.

Prior to this battle, the teams faced off in West Valley City, Utah, on Jan. 9 at the second annual Rio Tinto Best of Utah NCAA Gymnastics Meet. BYU placed second (195.700.) in the event behind No. 4 Utah (196.900) while Utah State earned third (194.350), topping Southern Utah (194.325.)

BYU announced Tuesday that a limited number of spectators will be allowed to attend the meet on Friday. Tickets will be made available to purchase starting on Wednesday at byutickets.com. Cougar Club members and gymnastics season ticket holders can purchase tickets starting at 10:30 a.m., and sales will open to the general public beginning at 12 p.m. Student tickets will be available on Thursday starting at 10 a.m. 

Tickets will be priced at $10, with a max of purchasing four. Student tickets will be priced at $5. Spectators will be physically distanced by household and masks are required.

Meet Information

• When: Friday, Feb. 26
• Time: 7 p.m. MST
• Location: Smith Fieldhouse
• Tickets: Spectators allowed (click for more info) 
• TV: BYUtv
• Live Stats: byu.statbroadcast.com

THE COUGARS. On Friday, BYU’s score of 196.975 to trump Boise State (196.900) and Air Force Academy (192.650) in the Smith Fieldhouse. There, the Cougars celebrated a new season-high score on vault, a 49.225. Additionally, senior Avery Bennett achieved career-high scores on both vault (9.900) and floor (9.850), claiming MRGC Vault Specialist of the Week. Freshman Sophia McClelland and senior Abby Boden-Stainton both boasted scores of 9.925 on beam, becoming the MRGC Beam Specialists of the Week. Lastly, junior Brittney Vitkauskas finished the meet on a high note, earning a 9.925 on floor and snagging MRGC Floor Specialist of the Week.

THE AGGIES. The No. 22 ranked team currently holds a season-high tally of 196.225. Last Friday, Utah State faced Southern Utah in Cedar City. Even in a loss, the Aggies total score of 195.975 pushed the team one spot higher in the rankings. A strong point for the Aggies is their beam lineup, notching total scores of 49 or higher in their last five meets. Individually, Autumn DeHarde ranks first in the conference and 12th in the nation on beam. For the third time this season, the MRGC honored the senior with MRGC Beam Specialist of the Week for her 9.925 performance.